Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-03-03
LIGHT AND LICENSE.
BOTH QUESTIONS DISPOSED OF BY
THE COUNCIL LAST NIGHT.
Aldermen all Present and Light Almost
Unanimously Adopted.
The Saloon License Reduced $500 per
ysar-Eack Tax Matters, SC.

Council Chamber was pretty we'll
packed by merchants, who wanted
to see the electric light measure pass;
by saloon men and their friends, whe
wanted to see the license reduced, and
by the regular attendants at these
meetings, all more Or less interested.
After some unimportant business
was disposed of, the Mayor asked for
the report of the electric light com
mittee. B%unton, as chairman, re-
ported that the committee had con-
ferred with Mr.. Llewellyn, and had
agreed upon seven lights, to be plac-
ed as follows: One at each corner
of the square, one at the City Hall,
one at the jail, and n at the inter-
section of Western Avenue and Prom
enade street, near the Ferris House,
five of the seven lights to burn all
night, the other two until IL O'Clock.
In commenting OF the report, MIR.
Bunton SAID: 1.-THE only question
in my mind is whether or not we have
power TO make an appropriation for
this purpose. l am decidedly IN
favor of light, and lots of it, but
only want to make a contract for our
term of office only, and if the next
Council wants to renew it, all right
On motion of Jones, without fur
Their comment. the report of the COM
mittee was adopted, as follows: Yeas
Duncan, Bunton, Jones, Winscott
and Ragsdale. 1t is not certain
whether MIR. Pratt voted or not, but
if he did, it was against accepting
the report. The large number of
spectators gave evidence of their sat
isfaction by prolonged applause.
H cEN QUESTION
was the next matter of importance,
and the Mayor introduced the SUBJ
iuct by reading the proposed ordin-
ance, which had been presented to the
Council two weeks ago.
o. Hit, attorney, in behalf of the
salosn-keepers, read a petition signed
bv the saloon menaof the city, asking
that the ordinance, as read, be pass
ed, as they had made no money for a
year, and wanted the license reduc-
ed. Mr.. Hit said: t"You know the
character of the business of this city,
as we'll as LIDO. l will not weary you
with a long speech, but will say this
only, by way of explanation: I will
bring up some of the objections land
answer them. Look at Columbia for
instance; they had three saloons there,
but one of them was abandoned; it
didn't pay. You say the license is
high there, $4,000; but you must re-
member, gentlemen, that includes
city, county, state license, all the Ii
ceuses. Gentlemen of the Council,
the expenses of running a saloon in
Mexico are great, being $15 or SIG
per day, each. They are to-day los.
ng money. They cannot afford to
run with this high license tax impos.
ed upon them. They come to you
as men, and in q lawful way present
, to you this petition. One other mat
ter, l would like to call your atten'
ton to is this: One of these licenses
| does not expire until some time il
May or June, and you may say i
3 you reduce the license, the proprietor
t of this saloon may ask a rebate, bu'
I assure you, he will not" Here Mr.
Hit presented a written statement
from VIM. Kemper, the gentleman
, referred to, agreeing not to ask for
rebate. "That settles it," continued
MIR. Hit, II now ask you to cOnside
the matter, in all its phazes, fairly
=, and honestly. 1 hear thai the count.
, will attempt to raise the license if tn
e city lowers it. This, however, is
:. mistake, / think who can come u
C and give his authority for such
statement? Such reports are Away
II put in circulation, and l think it ca,
n be said with safety, that there i
J. nothing in it,"
:, Ragsdale: Il would like to kno'
if any petitions for saloon licens
have been filed with the Recorder.
Recorder: "No, sir"
Winscett moved that the ordinanc
j.. he laid on the table, and received
second from Pratt, 'to see what th
:, Council would do with the matter.
The question was not taken lmm'
diately, as Duncan appeared anxiou
n to say q few words on the subiec
le He said: This is a sort of a cris
e with US. Here we are, with not
q petition in for a renewal of licens'
ir $50 Suppose the tenth day
March rolls around and no licens
a. asked for, what will we do? I'll
,e Water-works rental must be paid ar
this license is what we depend upe
to pay it, and it looks to me as if v
arc about to 'speter out In IL
insurance matter, you will remembe
-, we were accused of taking bread al
meat out OF the mouths of some
-, our citizens by increasing the licens
and it looks to me almost the same
this case. If 1 thought this was
~bulldozing scheme, I would be I'll
last man to vote for it. ** la
ce in favor of taxing whisky to tt
a fullest extent of the law, hut I do
want to turn the city over to upho